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A Medieval defence and a watch tower, then a Franciscan convent and
now a beautifully restored country mansion - this is San Francesco,
our prestigious property located near Viterbo, the very heart of
Tuscia, only a few miles from some of the major Central Italian art
cities such as Rome, Florence, Siena, Orvieto, Assisi, Spoleto and more.

Featuring 8 large, bright, comfortable bedrooms all en-suite (one in
an annex), a fully furnished kitchen-dining area, a beautiful lounge,
a great patio with a bread-baking oven, excellent antique and craft
furniture and decoration, timber ceilings, cotto floors, open
fireplaces and more, the house sits on top of a hill and is surrounded
by several acres of farmland. There we grow organic corn, beans, grain
and olives, make pure extra-virgin olive oil and also breed horses,
donkeys and Maremmana cattle.

Within the boundaries of the property the remains of an Etruscan
village - Acquarossa, 5 centuries b.C. - are interspersed with some
Etruscan tumbs and grottoes and can be seen as they were excavated by
King Gustav Adolf of Sweden back in the 60’s and 70’s. A dramatic view
over the valley with several streams surrounding the entire property
and the Roman city of Ferento with the Cimini mountains in the
background complete San Francesco’s gorgeous landscape.

Thanks to a large, shady yard featuring a barbecue, a wonderful,
newly-built swimming pool, chairs and tables and plenty of room both
outside and inside our guests can enjoy al-fresco dining, fun and
relax at their best. Quiet and pastoral atmosphere, wonderful walking
trails and a wide variety of interesting locations with art, antique
stores, typical markets, wineries and excellent restaurants in the
vicinities make of San Francesco the ideal headquarters to thoroughly
explore one of the most interesting and fascinating regions in Italy.

San Francesco is located 6 kms. north of Viterbo on the Teverina road
and is conveniently accessible from the A1 highway - exit Orte - and
the Viterbo speedway.

Property Type: chateau / country house.
Floor Area:  600 m².
Accommodation Type: self-catering.
Location Type: rural. 
Theme: farm holidays, historic, family accommodation
General: air-conditioning, central heating, linen provided, sunbed, 
towels provided. 
Kitchen: 4 ring stove, dish washer, freezer, fridge, grill, oven. 
Living Room: fireplace, sofabed. 
Dining: child's highchair, dining area.
Bathrooms: 8 bathrooms (all en-suite), 1 WC.
Bedrooms: 7 bedrooms, sleep a maximum of 18 people.
Bedroom notes:6 doubles, 2 rooms with 3 beds, 1 cot. 
Entertainment: tv. 
Outside: barbecue, garden, baking oven, parking. 
Swimming pools: private outdoor pool.
Suitability: children welcome, long term renters welcome. 

=== Local Activities: cycling, fishing, golf, horse riding, mountain 
biking, mountaineering, paragliding, roller blading, swimming, 
tennis, walking, winery tour; archaeological sites; gourmet food; 
flea/antique shopping (markets, stores). 


TESTIMONIALS =

"I stayed at house in the first two weeks of May 2012: the group
existed of 4 adults and 5 children in total. And what can I say about
this more than lovely house. Well, I never had stayed at a rental
house like this before. The house is adequately equipped and has
wonderful and peaceful surroundings with an amazing view on the valley
when I wake up in the morning.  A lot of things to explore in the
neighborhood: the Etruscan remains on the property itself, the
waterfalls of Aquarossa, the Roman city of Ferento and of course the
medieval center of Viterbo. Other visits that I recommend are: Rome,
Orvieto but especially Civita di Bagnoregio. Civita is just amazing;
you should visit it when you stay over. The owners of this property
have a shop in this town as well, in which you can buy very tasteful
olive oil, sausages and of course "vino". To conclude: If I ever go
back to this area and I need a rental house, then I would book this
house immediately." (Frank v. Z., The Netherlands)

"The property and the surroundings are just beautiful, it is quiet and
peaceful, just what is needed for a perfect vacation. Close to many
different points of interests." (Francois P., Canada)

"We - 12 danes - enjoyed a fantastic week in San Francesco. The house
is beautiful and very tastefully restored, the view and surroundings
wonderful - and the nearby city of Viterbo was fantastic. All in all -
one of the best holiday houses we've ever stayed in." (Morten B., Denmark)

"La casa era splendida, con una posizione stupenda e totalmente
immersa nella campagna, ma comunque molto vicina a Viterbo. Era poi
arredata sobriamente ma elegantemente, in uno stile consono al
contesto. Qualche piccolo problema alle attrezzature, risolto però
tempestivamente dai proprietari." (Lorenzo T., Italy)

"Un posto veramente incantevole, silenzioso, con un panorama
rilassante. Il casale è splendido, spazioso e ogni persona può godere
della sua privacy." (Rachele M., Italy)

"Il casale e' bellissimo, tenuto molto bene ed in un contesto
meraviglioso; Lara e' stata molto disponibile e cordiale. Contiamo di
tornarci appena possibile!" (Massimo R., Italy)

"This is without any doubt the most beautiful vacation rental I have
ever stayed at. The first words to describe it are - classy yet sober,
elegant, extremely comfortable, peaceful. The beauty of San Francesco
primarily lies in its location, which is scenic, historical and
convenient to quite a few main art cities of Tuscia and Umbria, which
we mostly reached in less than an hour drive. Our family of 6 plus
another friend family of 5 found excellent accommodation at this
noble, enticing tower. The rooms were spacious and extremely clean,
and so were the kitchen and the livingroom. The kids had plenty of
space to (safely) play and the pool was just great. The property is
humongous and part of it is an archeological Etruscan site, with some
tumbs just next to the house. Great owners, excellent communication,
amazing quality/price ratio. Absolutely not to be missed." (Franziska
H., Rotterdam, The Netherlands)

"We stayed here in Fall 2009 - charming area, great property,
excellent location - a wonderful vacation. We will surely come back.
Thanks, Lara!" (Ernie P., Boston, MA, USA)

"Absolutely terrific! Super-comfortable rooms, breathtaking place,
wonderful, wonderful owners. Only drawback - a car is definitely a
must." Margie D., Bristol, UK) 

"A group of 4 families stayed at San Francesco in April 2010. It was a
lovely property - clean, well maintained, all necessary equipment and
well located, with fantastic views and easy access to surrounding
areas and into Rome on the train. Although there were so many of us
(19 including babies), each family had its own space inside the house
and there were acres to explore outside, which the children all
enjoyed very much. The owner was extremely welcoming and nothing
seemed too much trouble. She shopped for us before we arrived as it
was a bank holiday and all the shops were closed, if we had any
queries or difficulties with working anything, she came over promptly
to help us. And when our flight was delayed for a week due to the
volcanic ash cloud at the time, she welcomed us back with no
hesitation, and would have helped us find alternative accommodation if
this one had been booked. All in all we could not have asked for more
and I would thoroughly recommend this property." (Clare F., Leeds, UK) 

"Dimora veramente splendida, restaurata con passione anche nei minimi
dettagli, pulitissima, molto spaziosa e confortevole. E' stata la
soluzione perfetta per una vacanza tra famiglie amiche con bambini,
che si sono goduti gli immensi spazi esterni senza pericoli. The house
is really wonderful, renewed with passion also in every little detail,
absolutely clean, with wide and confortable rooms. This was the
perfect solution for a vacation with friend families with children,
who enjoyed without any hazard the large outdoors." (Marco P., Italy)

"het huis is heel mooi, heeft een fantastisch uitzicht, is rustig
gelegen en kinderen kunnen vrij rondlopen. Het huis is vlak bij veel
leuke plaatsjes zoals: Civita, Viterbo, Bolsena, Orvieto." (Lina M.,
The Netherlands)

"I stayed at this villa with 11 students and 3 faculty members.
Everyone in our group was delighted with their accommodations and the
villa property in general. The villa is beautifully and tastefully
restored. The large living room was perfect for our evening card games
and the kitchen table easily fit all 15 of us at one sitting. The
bedrooms are simple and each has its own bathroom.The owners wisely
did not "overdecorate" so you really feel the authenticity of the
building. Our hostess took us on a wonderful tour of their olive
business and then on to the indescribable Civita. All of the students
said that it was their favorite day in Italy! We arrived in Viterbo
very late in the evening and the owner came out and led us directly to
the villa so that we would not get lost. She couldn't have been nicer
about it. Case in point, she made a point of inquiring if we needed to
get groceries before we went out to the villa. We traveled to Rome to
sightsee during two of the days we were here. It was just an hour's
drive to the parking lot at the metro. You can even more easily get
into Rome by driving to nearby Orte and taking the train in from
there. In Viterbo, we ate at a very good, family-run restaurant on Via
Cavour. The owner's young daughter was our delightful waitress. She
made our final evening in Italy a memorable one. The only note of
caution I would give is this - the watchtower property would not be
suitable for older (65+) travelers as the bedrooms are up steep stone
stairs. Luckily, there are other accommodations on the site that do
not require a climb." (Cynthia R., Maine, USA)

"We - a company of ten people -selected San Francesco for a combined
business and vacation period of 10 days. Our initial selection
criteria were that the apartment should be easy to reach from Rome,
spacious, clean and with rooms allowing for both undisturbed privacy
and social interaction and located in a tranquil beautiful
environment. On all accounts we were amply rewarded. Our only
criticism relates to the kitchen utilities, which for a big company
(the apartment can host up to 16 people) was somewhat modest and
inadequate. Our host Lara took excellent care of us. Highly
recommended." (Kim P., Finland)

"I stayed at San Francesco for a week with my family and a few
friends. The first thing I need to say is, I cannot express enough how
marvellous Raffaele & Lara, the owners, were! They went above and
beyond the call of hospitality and graciousness! There are not words
to describe my gratitude and thanks for helping out in situations they
could have easily dismissed as not their problems. They also helped us
getting a USB stick to connect with the internet (it worked
perfectly!) and took us on a tour to breathtaking Civita di Bagnoregio
(absolutely not to be missed!), their olive mill and local produce
shop. A memorable day! As of the property....What a lovely, gorgeous
place! The building has been lovingly restored and has all the
amenities that you will need, including a great swimming pool with
outdoor furniture. The grounds are relaxing, and spectacular views
abound.... From the olive tree covered hills, to the many villages
across the valley, down into the town of Viterbo! A perfect setting!
The bedrooms are large and airy, tastily decorated. They have been
nicely designed and feature comfortable beds and soft linens. Together
with 100% quiet, pleasant sleep is sure to be found. The kitchen
features all the cooking tools one may need and the outside veranda is
fabulous for al fresco dining. I highly recommend San Francesco as a
beautiful, relaxing place to enjoy the surroundings of Lazio and
Umbria and the whole Tuscia, with Rome only 1 hour drive (or train).
The property itself, the location, and the people are FABULOUS!! I'm
looking forward to a return in the near future so as to enjoy more
flavours, sights, and sounds of Italy and San Francesco! Thanks Lara
and Raffaele for all your attention and care! Brilliant!" (Mary D., USA)

2012 RATES

=== 1-6 GUESTS, 2012 ALL_INCLUSIVE RATES: October 6 - December 22,
1,000 Euro; December 22 - January 7,
2013, 2,600 Euro.

=== 7-12 GUESTS, 2012 ALL-INCLUSIVE RATES: October 6 - December 22,
1,000 Euro; December 22 - January 7,
2013, 2,700 Euro.

=== 13/16 GUESTS, 2012 ALL-INCLUSIVE RATES: October 6 - October 22,
1,200 Euro; December 22 - January 7,
2013, 2,800 Euro.

=== 17/18 GUESTS, 2012 ALL-INCLUSIVE RATES: October 6 - December 22,
1,300 Euro; December 22 - January 7,
2013, 2,900 Euro.

2013 RATES

=== 1-6 GUESTS, 2013 ALL_INCLUSIVE WEEKLY RATES: January 7 - March 30:
1,000 Euro; March 30 - April 6: 2,200 Euro; April 6 - June 22: 1,500
Euro; June 22 - August 31: 2,600 Euro; August 31 - October 5: 1,500
Euro; October 5 - 21: 1,000 Euro; December 21 - January 7,
2014: 2,600 Euro.

=== 7-12 GUESTS, 2013 ALL_INCLUSIVE WEEKLY RATES: January 7 - March
30: 1,100 Euro; March 30 - April 6: 2,300 Euro; April 6 - June 22:
1,600 Euro; June 22 - August 31: 2,700 Euro; August 31 - October 5:
1,600 Euro; October 5 - 21: 1,100 Euro; December 21 - January
7, 2014: 2,700 Euro.

=== 13-16 GUESTS, 2013 ALL_INCLUSIVE WEEKLY RATES: January 7 - March
30: 1,200 Euro; March 30 - April 6: 2,400 Euro; April 6 - June 22:
1,800 Euro; June 22 - August 31: 2,800 Euro; August 31 - October 5:
1,800 Euro; October 5 - 21: 1,200 Euro; December 21 - January
7, 2014: 2,800 Euro.

=== 17/18 GUESTS, 2012 ALL-INCLUSIVE WEEKLY RATES: January 7 - March
30: 1,300 Euro; March 30 - April 6: 2,500 Euro; April 6 - June 22:
1,900 Euro; June 22 - August 31: 2,900 Euro; August 31 - October 5:
1,900 Euro; October 5 - 21: 1,300 Euro; December 21 - January
7, 2014: 2,900 Euro.

One-time cleaning fee: 120 Euro.

+ 300 Euro fully-refundable deposit at check-in.

=== EXTRA: Heating and firewood (in season - metered). 

LONG STAY RATES AVAILABLE - PLEASE INQUIRE.